MEN could be atahigher risk of infertility if exposed

 

 

MEN could be atahigher risk of infertility if exposed to PM2.5 pollution for a long term, while among women,theriskofinfertilitycouldincreasefromlong term exposure to road traffic noise, according to a study published in the British Medical Journal. While researchers said that more studies are needed to confirm these findings, the study's results could help in forming strategies for regulating noise and air pollution, of which one of the health benefits could be higher fertility.

 

 

A major global health problem, infertility is estimated to affect one in every six people ofreproductive age in their life time, according to the World Health Organisation. In men, infertility is most commonly caused by a low count or quali ty of sperms or by problems in the ejection of semen, while inwomen, infertility could be caused by abnormalities affect ing varied parts related to reproduction, such as ovaries, uterus, or the endocrine system, according to the UN's pub lic health agency. Air pollution has been previously studied to affect sperm quality and reproductive success following fertility treatment. However, the team, including researchers fromtheDanishCancerInstitute, Denmark, saidthatnostud ies have looked at how pollution affects infertility in men and women. For the study, the researchers analysed data from national registers for over 5.2 lakh men and 3.7 lakh women aged 30- 45 years, having fewer than two children and residing in Denmark during the study period from 2000 to 2017. Each participantwas followed for anaveragedurationoffour years.

 

The specific study groupwas chosentoinclude a highnumber of people actively trying to become pregnant, and thus possibly atrisk of being diagnosed with infertility, the authors said. Average PM2.5 and road traffic noise levels at each participant's address for every year from 1995 to 2017 were calcu lated and data on infertility diagnosis were taken from the national patient register. In the study group, 16,172 men and 22,672womenwerediagnosedwithinfertility.Theresearchers found that among men aged 30-45 years, every three micro grams per cubic metre increase in average PM2.5 levels over five years was linked with a 24 per cent higher risk of infertil ity. Among women older than 35 years, every 10.2-decibel increase in average road traffic noise levels of five years was associatedwitha14percenthigherriskofinfertility,theauthors found.Women youngerthan 35 years were not affected. Road traffic noise was also found to be associated with a small increased risk of infertility in men in the 37-45 age group, but not among those aged 30-37 years. Being an observational study, the authors could not establish the causes for these links between air and noise pollution and infertility. They also acknowledged that information on the partici pants' lifestyle, including exposure to pollution at work and during leisure activities was lacking.